While protecting the unconscious Shouta-kun, Detective Kumano engaged the World Shadow in battle. However, he couldn’t quite manage to deal any significant damage. Or more specifically, I didn’t let the World Shadow receive any significant damage.
With a beast-like roar, Detective Kumano slammed the heel of his palm onto the World Shadow, but it had no effect. After a quick spasm, the World Shadow continued bringing its alligator jaw-like arm to bear, trying to rip into Detective Kumano’s throat (just pretending, of course). He managed to dodge it by the skin of his teeth, and even countered with a perfectly timed head butt. However, that too had no effect.
Judging by the tactile feedback, it seemed like he was using internal damaging force, the kind meant to destroy an opponent’s organs on the inside. But unfortunately for him, World Shadows had no organs.
The first few attacks that he used were normal ones. Then he switched to unnaturally sharp foot chops and hand chops. When that also proved ineffective, he tried to restrain it with his belt and his suit jacket. It slipped through his holds again and again, so then he moved onto surface damaging force, until eventually, he began trying internal damaging force. The way he kept on changing his attacks in an attempt to find what’s effective without backing down in the face of an unknown enemy spoke volumes about his wealth of experience as a veteran martial artist. If the World Shadow was a real person, it would have lost more than 30 times already. Kuma-san’s so freaking strong.
Upon confirming that internal damaging force was also ineffective, Detective Kumano then moved onto using spear hand thrusts to pierce holes into the World Shadow. Around that time, Shouta-kun finally woke up, thanks to me repeatedly tugging on his sleeves and patting his cheeks with telekinesis.
You’re so slow, Shouta-kun! We’ve all been waiting for you to wake up! We’re running out of time, hurry up and fight together with Detective Kumano so that camaraderie can (artificially) blossom between you two!
The instant that the just-awakened Shouta-kun laid eyes on the World Shadow, he leapt up and, without hesitation, dashed out in front of Detective Kumano and slammed an Eternal Force Blizzard into the World Shadow. You really do like your sure-kill first strikes, don’t you. Though understandably, most enemies die from that, so that’s the right call, honestly.
However, the fight this time was supposed to be one that would artificially cultivate a bond that crosses generations and statuses, one of those forged through fighting together on the same side. Consequently, the World Shadow could not go down so quickly.
And so, there you go. Have a split copy.
I used telekinesis to shatter the World Shadow that had been frozen stiff, then reconstructed it as two World Shadows. They then proceeded to engage Shouta-kun and Detective Kumano one-on-one.
“Oi, there’s now two of them?!”
“Shit! Normally that’d be enough to take care of it! The fact that it didn’t work can only mean that it’s already eaten someone! It’s a superior mutation!”
Upon being attacked by the two World Shadows in a pincer attack, Shouta-kun and Detective Kumano naturally ended up standing back-to-back, before rushing to meet their respective opponent. Shouta-kun quickly beelined to his schoolbag and kicked it up so that he could snatch out a bottle of water and spray its contents out to make an ice spear with.
Detective Kumano unleashed a roundhouse kick that smashed into his World Shadow with enough force and sharpness to put an axe to shame, then glared at it while asking out loud, “How do we defeat these guys? Do only superpowers work on them?”
“There’s a core somewhere in their body. The skin is barely translucent enough that you should be able to see it if you strain your eyes.”
“......I see it!”
“All you have to do is crush that core! It doesn’t matter what you use! Just like this!” So saying, Shouta-kun froze the bottom half of his World Shadow and then jabbed his spear into its head, accurately piercing its core. At that moment, the World Shadow that Detective Kumano was facing backed up, then shivered.
And then, uh-oh, what is this?
The World Shadow that Shouta-kun had supposedly defeated regenerated its core, got back up, then started to move again! Then the two World Shadows took on the same pose in a mirror image of each other.
Detective Kumano asked in bewilderment, “Er, like what? It regenerated itself, didn’t it?”
“Wha—that’s impossible! Is this one immortal?!”
Now that’s impossible. It is not immortal, but I’ve already given you guys hints. The splitting. The strange movements before regenerating. The same poses. Come on! This is a gimmick that appears really often in computer games and battle manga! Just think about it calmly, I’m sure it’ll come to mind!
“The strange movements shown by this one before yours regenerated must mean that this is the main body. Hmph!” Detective Kumano’s front kick accurately crushed the core in the World Shadow that he was facing.
Immediately, the one that Shouta-kun was facing backed up, then shivered.
And then, uh-oh, what is this?
The World Shadow that Detective Kumano had supposedly defeated regenerated its core, got back up, then started to move again! Then the two World Shadows took on the same pose in a mirror image of each other.
Sorry, it’s back to square one for the both of you. Detective Kumano, that was the wrong answer.
After having seen the second World Shadow do the exact same pre-regeneration motion, Shouta-kun flash-freezed his World Shadow’s alligator jaw arm and used the butt of his spear to shatter it while shouting, “I got it! We have to defeat the two of them at the same time!”
Bingo, Shouta-kun. There are two enemies. There are two of you. So the rest should be quite self-obvious, yes?
“Old man, match my timing!”
“Don’t you mess it up either! Let’s count to three!”